Gary Pasqua is sworn in as St. Lawrence County district attorney

CANTON – St. Lawrence County District Attorney Gary Pasqua was officially sworn into office Tuesday.

Pasqua defeated his opponent James Monroe in November in the race to replace outgoing District Attorney Mary Rain.

Improved mentoring of attorneys, reducing case backlogs and expanded communication with law enforcement are just a few of Pasqua’s immediate goals.

Paqua said he wants to eliminate the misdemeanor bureau format used by his predecessor. Under Rain, some assistant district attorneys handle felony cases exclusively. Pasqua said he believes this makes fewer prosecutors to handle the minor crimes, which create a backlog at local courts.

Pasqua also intends to end a policy implemented by Rain that does not allow plea deals involving driving while intoxicated cases. Pasqua says that while he takes driving while intoxicated as a very serious offense, he says all cases handled by his office will be looked at and handled individually.